Qatar's Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics says 72.8 percent of people responding to its survey highlighted the "capricious weather" as playing a "real part" in the decision not to attend matches. The ministry website listed "hot, humid and windy, dusty" weather as the concerns.

The survey, based on 1,079 Qataris responding, indicates that 65 percent of the country did not attend a match in Qatar in the previous season.